Salad: The least loved side of holiday dinners.

Most salads served at holiday meals tend to lack inspiration and usually are made from lackluster ingredients. Our focus usually is on the roast and heartier sides, like scalloped potatoes and gravies and baked this-and-thats.

But a holiday dinner salad can be delicious. It also can be a bright and light counterpoint to heavier options on the table. The trick is to draw on ingredients robust enough to stand up to the rest of the meal. In this case, we went with roasted beets and lightly charred citrus segments. Combined with nicely dressed greens, it's a delicious redemption of the salad.

Start to finish: 1 hour 30 minutes (30 minutes active)Servings: 64 medium beets (preferably multiple colors)2 cups grapefruit and orange segments2 tablespoons brown sugar3 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons sherry vinegar2 teaspoons Dijon mustardKosher salt and ground black pepper5 ounces baby kale or arugula½ cup toasted chopped pecans¼ cup toasted flake coconut (preferably unsweetened)Heat the oven to 350 degrees.Wrap each beet in foil and set on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a paring knife. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.While the beets cool, increase the oven temperature to broil. Arrange the citrus segments in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, then sprinkle with the brown sugar. Broil for 3 minutes, turning halfway through for even browning.In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the greens in the dressing, then arrange on a serving platter.Carefully peel the roasted beets, then slice into small wedges. Arrange the roasted beets and the broiled citrus wedges over the greens. Sprinkle with the pecans and toasted coconut.